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Gnat T Mk 1, 1:48


MikeC

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Just as a diversion from big stuff (a Revell Hunter and a WNW RE.8 in 1:32 on the bench) here's something that's not only small in the sense of not being an LSP, but is quite a small aeroplane anyway.

 

It's the Airfix 1:48 Gnat, finished as an aircraft of the Central Flying School in 1969.  I added S&M decals (as well as the kit decals for stencils etc) and a Master alloy pitot.  I also replaced the seats with Pavla resin examples, and fitted the correct early "bang-out" handles.

 

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At the risk of a little immodesty, I was somewhat pleased to get a gold in the 1:48 post-war class at the Milton Keynes ModelKraft show.

 

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Thanks for looking.

Edited by MikeC
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very nice mate, and congratulations

 

how did you do the faded orange paint?

 

Thanks Mark.

 

The dayglo is Vallejo Model Air Fluorescent Red (71.082) over an undercoat of Tamiya matt White, varying the depth/intensity of the white.  Finished off with Tamiya gloss (for decals) then satin varnishes.

Edited by MikeC
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My favourite Gnat trainer scheme, and a worthy winner. The day-glo fading looks very convincing.

 

I'm not sure if my memory is playing tricks, but I'm sure I bought the first Airfix polybag release and the header card artwork showed a Gnat in your CFS scheme toting a 4 x 4 stack of rockets under the wings. I've looked online and the artwork is there, minus the rockets, but Airfix weren't above editing their artwork.

 

I recall being especially disappointed that the built models' shelf at the local Woolworths just used Post Office red instead of the proper orange day-glo.

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Thanks for the kind comments everyone.

 

 

My favourite Gnat trainer scheme, and a worthy winner. The day-glo fading looks very convincing.

 

I'm not sure if my memory is playing tricks, but I'm sure I bought the first Airfix polybag release and the header card artwork showed a Gnat in your CFS scheme toting a 4 x 4 stack of rockets under the wings. I've looked online and the artwork is there, minus the rockets, but Airfix weren't above editing their artwork.

 

I recall being especially disappointed that the built models' shelf at the local Woolworths just used Post Office red instead of the proper orange day-glo.

 

That Airfix kit is the only other Gnat I've ever built, way back in the mid-late 1960s.  Your memory is not playing tricks, that kit did have rockets.  By the time I'd finished with it, it also had my thumb- or finger-print on the fin, where I'd used way too much tube glue!  I think I probably used a generic red as well, I don't think I'd heard of dayglo then - I was only 8 or thereabouts.

 

Come to think of it, the original Airfix Jet Provost T3 also featured some form of rocket armament - I wonder if someone at Airfix considered this a selling point? 

 

Come to think of it (2) - is one allowed a bit of thread drift in one's own thread? :hmmm:  To sort of drag it back on topic, wouldn't a Gnat and a couple of JPs (T3/4 and T5/Strikemaster) in 1/32 be great? :please:

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Thanks Mike, ive ordered 2 Gnats and decal sheets because of you!!!

 

A pleasure.  It's a great little kit, only real problem I had was the fit of the wing tanks.

Edited by MikeC
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Thanks Jeff & ScoobyDoo

Very nice, I've wanted to build that scheme for awhile now.

I've seen it built both as a silver and gray scheme. Was it painted from natural to gray at one time?

I've seen both in actual pictures what appears to be both silver and gray.

 

The RAF moved from silver to light aircraft grey generally during the 1960s - iirc it was when more durable polyurethane-based paints were introduced, and unfortunately these did not feature silver in their range.  (I really should know more about this - note to self, do a bit of reading about it!) 

 

The Gnats certainly entered service in silver/dayglo, and after the changeover probably changed to light grey as individual aircraft came up for major servicing, but that's educated speculation on my part.

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